2001
The College of Direct Support
The College of Direct Support, the first online curriculum for direct support professionals and frontline supervisors, is launched.
2001
NADSP Code of Ethics
The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals Code of Ethics outlines standards of conduct and professionalism in nine areas, including person-centered supports; promoting physical and emotional well-being; integrity and responsibility; confidentiality; justice, fairness and equity; respect; relationships; self-determination; and advocacy.
The Moving Mountains Award
The Moving Mountains Award recognizes organizations that use leading practices in direct support workforce development to improve outcomes for people with disabilities.
2004
Disability Pride Parade
A coalition of disability rights advocates and organizations held the first Disability Pride Parade. The event was designed to “change the way people think about and define disability, to break down and end the internalized shame among people with disabilities, and to promote the belief in society that disability is a natural and beautiful part of life.” Nearly 2,000 attended.
Photo: Facebook: Disability Pride Parade
2005
Disability justice
The Disability Justice Movement examines disability and ableism in relation to other kinds of oppression and identity, including race, class, and gender. As explained by Patty Berne, the disability justice framework was a reaction to the ways that the disability rights movement “invisibilized the lives of peoples who lived at intersecting junctures of oppression – disabled people of color, immigrants with disabilities, queers with disabilities, trans and gender non-conforming people with disabilities, people with disabilities who are houseless, people with disabilities who are incarcerated, people with disabilities who have had their ancestral lands stolen, amongst others.”
Pictured: Autistic disability activist Lydia X. Z. Brown
2006
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, is drafted in 2006 and ratified in 2008.
As of March 2024, 196 countries have ratified the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including every member of the United Nations except the United States.
2007
Disability Rights
“Disability deserves the same attention as other civil rights struggles.” – Carol Robinson, self-advocacy leader
2009
Spread the Word to End the Word
The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign was created by youth with and without intellectual disabilities and launched at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Across the country, students of all ages made a pledge to eliminate “retard” from their vocabulary and encourage others to do the same.
2010
Rosa’s Law
President Barack Obama signs “Rosa’s Law” which changes “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability” in US federal law. The law was named for nine-year-old Rosa Marcellino, whose brother Nick explained, “What you call people is how you treat them. If we change the words, maybe it will be the start of a new attitude towards people with disabilities.”
2012
Inspiration porn
“Inspiration porn” is the portrayal of people with disabilities as being inspirational to non-disabled people.
2013
Haben Girma
Haben Girma became the first deafblind student to attend and graduate from Harvard Law School. She is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice.
2013
Stella Young
“I use the term porn deliberately because of the objectification of one group of people for the benefit of another group of people.” – Stella Young
2013
The Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation.
The Regional Centers for Workforce Transformation start with the aim of helping direct support professionals in New York State enhance their job performance.
2014
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) helps job seekers with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities access employment, education, training, and support services.
2014
The ABLE Act
The ABLE Act creates a new option for some people with disabilities and their families to save for the future while protecting eligibility for public benefits.
The Achieving Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act improve financial stability and employment options for people with disabilities by authorizing tax-advantaged savings accounts for youth and adults with disabilities.
2017
Presidential report on workforce crisis
The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities publishes a report to the president on America’s direct support workforce crisis. The report explored high staff turnover and a growing staff shortage, compounded by low wages and lack of professional recognition.
2002
Black DSPs Matter
Influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013, direct support professional Ryene Fenner spoke up about the need for her organization to issue a statement of solidarity with her and other DSPs of color.
2020
Smart home technologies
For some, smart home technologies reduce the need for full-time direct support staff and offer individuals more independence in their homes.
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic put tremendous strain on the direct support workforce. A study by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration found that 53% of DSPs received augmentation or bonus pay from their organizations; 84% of DSPs had at least one vaccination shot; and 52% were diagnosed with COVID-19. The study also revealed disparities in pay and work schedules base on race and gender.
2020s
COVID-19 and people with IDD
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are much more affected by COVID-19 than the average population.
Courtesy Johnny Milano for the New York Times
2023
An occupational code for DSPs
Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) & Susan Collins (R-ME) introduce the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, a bill seeking to revise the standard occupational classification system and create a separate code for direct support professionals.
2024
“Assume that I can so maybe I will”
A public service announcement punches backs against low expectations of people with Down syndrome. Within days it goes viral.
2024
Telling our stories
Disability advocate BJ Stasio relies on the support of DSPs and understands that DSPs and people receiving supports must work in partnership
“Those of us who are advocates – DSPs, family members, allies, self-advocates – must tell our stories! That’s the only way change happens. We’re in this fight together. We want to have a better life, and we can’t have that without each other.” BJ Stasio